Marshall University to Begin Construction on New Rec Center

HUNTINGTON, WV -- Marshall University’s Board of Governors approved a resolution Monday on an agreement with Capstone Management of Birmingham, AL, to build a 123,000-square-foot recreation center scheduled to open in January 2009.

The project, which also includes new residence halls and will later include baseball and softball fields, will cost $94 million, according to the Huntington Herald-Dispatch.

The center will feature pools, a three-story climbing wall, a track, courts for basketball, volleyball, racquetball and handball, and three fitness rooms for free weights, Nautilus and cardiovascular machines. The center also will have a child care area and an outdoor area for sunbathing.

“This is what modern-day students want, and this is what we’re trying to give them,” Menis Ketchum, chairman of the Board of Capstone, told the newspaper.